Love of None
by Psycho Valkyrie
Summary: A quite girl, who spends most of her time at a bookstore - is somehow drug into a new world. An assassin in training. A whole new person. What will Altair think of his new student?
1. Chapter 1

Today will be the one day that changes from life. For the better or for the worse? I don't know - you tell me . . My name is Rae and here's my story.

A girl, a park bench, a sunny afternoon. I sat, my legs curled up neatly under me, an apple grasped tightly in my hand, half eaten. Most days are like this. I go to work, then lunch alone, back to work and then home. A repetitive phase. A rut. Would I ever be able to escape? I wanted something new to happen in my life. Maybe a new person - someone to wake up to every morning.

Crazy.

I sighed, letting the thought fade out of my mind and into the summer air around me. My small, wrist watch ticked, reminding me of the lunch hour that was soon about to end. Unfolding my legs from beneath me, I stood up and tossed the half eaten apple into an already overflowing trash bin. And like almost every person out there, I didn't want to go back to work. There was nothing particularly wrong with my job, it just gets lonely sometimes.

Basu Books. The name of the small book store, the one I spent most of my days in. I wouldn't particularly call it work, because no body comes into bookstores nowadays. Most peoples minds are corrupted by technology. Television, Computers and Internet, Cell phones, I pods. The things most people use to distract themselves from the crippling world around them. I had no particular interest in the use of most of that technology. Don't get me wrong or anything, I have a Television and a computer at home. Though, they are mostly turned off, never used.

I spend most of my time at the book store, day dreaming of a time when people, no matter what race or religion they were, could all get along.

"I'm back!" I shouted softly as I walked through the door of the book store, hoping to hear something in response. "Hey, gurlie. How was your lunch?" Lola smiled. She was a beautiful girl. Long brown hair, with light curls at the end witch fell at the middle of her back. And the most amazing hazel eyes I had ever seen. Perfect red lips and a body any man OR woman would kill for. I had often imagined life if I looked like her.

But me? Plain. One word - the only word needed to describe me. I had short, choppy, black hair that only came a little past my shoulders. It was usually worn in a loose ponytail. Mostly because I never had time to fix it in the morning. My eyes were a dark shade a green, and oddly shaped. Thin lips and a thin figure. Usually hidden under the turtle necks and long sleeves.

"It was .. Normal." I replied, with a small and quick smile. My bag slipped of my arm and I tossed it behind the counter. "Any new customers?" I asked. Trying to start a conversation , even though I knew there wasn't. "Not one." Lola puckered out her bottom lip, making a sort of pouty face as she would rest her elbow on the counter, resting her cheek on her hand. I gave a slight huff before making my way over to one of the recliners set beside a bookshelf.

This was my favorite place to sit. By this particular book shelf. It was filled with old books and literature from back in the Medieval times. Books from other countries of religion and races. I had read every one. I scanned over the bookshelf, looking for a such particular book. A slight shine caught my eye. It was a golden lined paged book, pushed as far back as it possibly could be. Its spine was facing inward, not allowing me to see the title. How come I had never seen this book before? I was hesitant, waiting a moment before reaching for the book.

What if it was a book, that if you pulled, it would actually be like a key to a secret door or a revolving book case. Like in the horror films?

My hands grasped around the edges of the book and I pulled it from the cluttered bookshelf. I quickly looked around, half hoping to see a random door open in a wall. There wasn't.

My gaze returned to the book. The cover was a plain, black and covered in a thick layer of dust. I gently swept my hand across the top, revealing a strange symbol. I thought nothing of it.

At my feet, the dust from the cover fell without a sound. The emblem on the cover resembled a sort of triangle with a rounded bottom. Hard to put into plain words really. I smiled to myself, at the mystifying tome, not being able to wait to open it and see what lies amongst its pages. My fingertips tenderly rounded the corners of the book, before slipping beneath the cover and flipping it open. The first page was uniform. Nothing. I turned the page, the mysterious symbol arriving again and beneath it, a list.

"_**T H E C R E E D**__"_

"_Hide in plain sight."_

"_Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent"_

"_Never compromise the Brother hood."_

My arms cradled the book cautiously, seeing of the aged and very deficient condition the book was in. Glancing behind me, I looked at the unfolded recliner for a moment, before taking a seat, setting the tome upon my lap. I felt the excitement rise up in the pit of my stomach, just wanting to discover.

As feeling of the parchedness and stiffness of the pages, I lightly licked the tip of my thumb and index finger, turning the page once again. Petite, disorganized cursive began to envelop the pages, but was seemed to be covered by what looked like a small quantity of water damage and the fact that the book was so old. From the words and sentences that I could read came . .

"_. . Jerusalem, 1191 AD . ."_

"_. .The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart . ."_

"_. . The Piece of Eden hidden within Solomon's Temple . ."_

"_. . A League of Assassin's . ."_

"_. .Robert IV de Sablé, a member of the Knights Templar . ."_

My slender lips rounded into a smile as I began to the read aloud the last line lingering at the foot of the page. Stuttering over the foreign expressions a bit.

" تقع لي .. كما قاتل "

Falling to me .. As an Assassin

Still smiling, in high spirits that I had taken a few language courses in college; while letting my fingers ready to turn to the next page. but I was struck by the sound of my wrist watch ticking once again. Closing time. I sighed in despondency, not wanting to leave the book behind. I could try and sneak it out, but with my misfortune - I was more than likely to get caught.

Placing the book back into its place on the bookshelf, I sighed once more. It would be there tomorrow. I had nothing to be concerned about. Its just a book. I kept telling myself, but there was .. something. Something that drew me into the tome. Just what was it?

Lola had already left the store not too long before I had.

The sun had already set and the warm, summer air had cooled. A small breeze blew, nipping lightly at my cheeks. Lets head home. My bag was placed conveniently across my shoulder, and would simultaneously hit at the back of my thighs, with every step.

My eyes darted around the vacant streets as I walked along the winding sidewalk.

No one was out. That was usually odd. These streets were usually cluttered with the busy business men and women trying to make their way home. It wasn't late, so where was everyone? I shrugged it off and continued my journey home. To my cozy, little apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

My house key slipped from my pocket and into the lock. Click. I pushed the door open and strode inside, letting a gust of lukewarm air rush around me. Finally, I'm home. I pulled the door shut behind me, re-locking it. Living alone, I always wanted to take precautions. You don't know what kind of freaks could be lurking around.

Pulling my bag up off of my shoulders, I tossed it onto a chair before taking a seat at the kitchen table. That book. I just couldn't get that book out of my mind. My eyes shut forcefully and my head fell onto the table. Sigh. I was just tired.

My mind began to imagine .. wonder. Most towards the assassins. What they would look like. Their skills and weapons. Wise and knowledgeable.

The only assassins I had ever informed myself with were the ones in the movies. They reminded me of ninjas. Dressing in black and killing there targets with a gun atop of a roof. Sly and stealthy.

I was too busy thinking, I hadn't noticed the pain erupting in my chest. It began burning, making it difficult to breath. It felt as if I had been hit with a brick.

My hand clutched the front of my shirt and I gasped for breath. What was happening to me? I can't breath! My body went limp and I slid out of the chair, falling into a heap on the floor.

I hear words. "Falling to me . . As an Assassin." Spoken in such an amazing voice. So spectacular .. Masculine. They sounded familiar .. The book. It was the only line of the book I head read aloud. The only sentence in Arabic . . The book. The last thing to fill my mind before .. Darkness.

My eyes were still held shut. I was lost. The voice was gone. I heard silence. Nothing. I drifted into a dreamless sleep .. Or so I thought.

"A'idah .. A'idah!" Who was A'idah? The name kept ringing in my ears. My chest, it has stopped hurting. The pain was completely gone. My eyes soon enough fluttered open, revealing and woman. Her hand was on my forehead, as if she was checking my fever. "Ugh. Who are you? And who's A'idah?" I asked in a rather rude voice, using the back of my hand to rub my eye. They still hadn't quite adjusted to the light.

"Oh, dear. The poor girl has lost her memory!" The woman stood up quickly, running to the other side of the room. She began pulling open drawers and bottles. I think she might have been looking for something.

My eyes darted around the room. It was minute. A dirt floor and a small cot, littered with silk pillows and linen - which I happened to be resting upon. A single ray of light filled the room, which came from the modest, and only, window in the area. The walls were all a murky shade of a burnt orange color.

I pushed myself up with my arms, soon feeling a throbbing pain in my left hand. I glanced downward hurriedly at my hand. My eyes quickly adverted to an omitted digit. My ring finger, it was gone. Completely amputated and wrapped in a blood tainted bandage. I sighed. What a bizarre dream.

Letting my eyes pursue downward, I noticed my wrist was wrapped in a bronzed amour, on the underside, a rectangular prism.

What was it?

Where was I?

Who was this lady?

And where's my finger?

The woman came running over, her hand was soon against my mouth. I tasted something acerbic. My tongue traced around the substance. I felt like leaves. Probably herbs. "Sit, sit, sit." She said abruptly, pushing on my shoulder, making me sit down. She must be a nurse or something.

My eyes were wide, cheeks puffy with herbs. Maybe I should spit these out? Or was I supposed to swallow them?

I was confused. I began to climb off the cot again, scrambling over the pillows and linen.


	3. Chapter 3

A dream. Was this a dream? It didn't feel like one. Too realistic . .

I pulled myself up off the cot, standing up once again. The nurse was back over in the corner area of the room, exploring though her drawers. I hope she wasn't planning on shoving more grass into my mouth. I narrowed my eyes at the thought.

A door. It caught my eye. My escape? I, without a sound, walked over to the exit. I could hear voiceS, outside, of all different kinds. Languages - some I could understand, others I couldn't. Quietly pushing open the insubstantial, wooden door. I peeked my head outside. The smell of roasting meat filled my nostrils and the resonance of the citizens rang in my ears. Merchants marketing their goods, women carrying jars atop their heads. I smiled.

It was pleasant seeing people being able to reminisce.

The people were clothed in robes of different colors and patterns. Some effervescent colors, others dark. A small amount of the women wore scarves around their heads and faces. The only people I had known for wearing such head dresses were the inhabitants of The Land of Israel.

Why was my dream taking place here? Was it because of the book? The Holy Land and Jerusalem?

A small child stopped and looked at me, giggling. I looked at him. His garments was tattered, worn out and filthy. Dirt was smeared across his face. The typical child, but I couldn't help but notice, he wasn't like the other children. His skin turned to be a lighter color, and from what I could tell, his eyes were a shadowy gloom of green. They reminded me of my own eyes.

I wanted to say something, but I had forgotten about the acerbic herbs in my mouth, they soon began to tingle. I quickly spit them out onto the dirt floor. I quickly adverted my gaze back upwards, the child was gone. I sighed. Forget it.

Looking back over my shoulder I noticed the nurse was still trifling through her many drawers. I didn't want to wait around any longer, afraid of what she might shove into my mouth next. Maybe I could make a run for it while she's not looking and, somehow wake myself up. Perhaps jump into a pond?

In silence, I promptly made a pathway out the door, looking over my shoulder every few seconds. I felt like . . . A ninja! Secretly snooping around, trying not to be seen.

I slipped out the door, my body was practically hugging the wall. I must say I did get a few strange looks from the villages passing by. "A'idah!" There was that name again. Where they calling for me?

My eyes darted around, looking for the caller. "A'IDAH!" The voice was louder. Like it was right next to me. I shrugged it off and turned to finish my 'escape'. Turning, I was met with a pair of dark brown eyes, advertising a angry looking scowl.

"Oh! Excuse me!"

"A'idah. What are you doing out here? You should be resting!"

"Um. I'm not A'idah. I'm sorry." I replied, turning to walk away, but I was held back by a hand gripping onto my upper arm.

"Don't be stupid. Come with me." His grip seemed to get tighter and tighter by the minute, as he pulled me along through the crowds of people.

I tried to stop many times, but he just kept pulling me along. "Wait! Please stop!" I cried, my gaze downward, looking at my feet. Which happened to be clad in a pair of brown boots, almost reaching my knees.

The man stopped and looked back at me, I could feel his eyes burning a hole right through me.

"What is it?" He asked, the angry scowl still scribbled across his face.

"Who are you and where are you taking me?"

The man laughed, his arm was placed across his stomach, acting as if he had never laughed this hard in a while. I just stood there dumbfounded.

What was so funny?


	4. Chapter 4

**RK:** Going to be writing in third person now! Thanks! :)

* * *

The sun was high, gleaming through the glassless windows of the supposedly Assassin's fortress. She could feel the intense heat rays burning through the cloth covering the sensitive flesh on the backside of her neck. It was hot.

Assassins. Rae sighed.

Everything had been explained. The girl was an assassin, but a dreadful fall had caused her to lose her memory. Or so they said.

This is what they told her…

"Only a few hours ago . . . During a training session for a 'Leap of Faith', you had fallen from the platform, missing the haystack completely. We think the fall gave you a case of, hopefully, temporary amnesia. We had all thought you were dead. It's a miracle your alive, girl. "

Haystack? Was that supposed to cushion the fall? It did not seem like it would be enough. No wonder she had hurt herself.

And that name: A'idah. Was it her name? Even though Rae had protested against it many times, trying to tell them it WAS NOT her name. They kept insisting it was, and she would remember everything soon enough.

"But it's not my name, I swear! My name is Rae. I live in Helsinki, Finland. The year is 2010! I know what I am talking about… I don't have amnesia," A few of the other men had laughed, others just shook their head. She sighed once again, her head hanging low, watching the feet of the people coming and going from the room.

A hand settled upon her shoulder, making her jump slightly in the wooden chair she was sitting in. She did not even hear anyone walking up behind her. I guess that was one trait of the assassins. Silence.

Craning her neck at a sort of discomfited perspective, she wanted to see who it was. The same man from earlier. The one who took her back to the fortress after he had finished his laughing fit. Which had earned them many odd looks from the bypassing citizens and even more disapproving ones from the other assassins, while he walked through the fortress, giggling.

Honestly, Rae did not see what was so funny about the matter.

"Oh, hey Malik," The girl said in a soft voice, her head still low and her fingers tangling with a unfastened strand of thread from the white robe she was togged up in.

"A'idah," She huffed at the name. "You will have to restart your training. Starting at the novice rank."

"Novice rank? Which rank was I at before my… Amnesia?" Rae held up her hands, making the "parentheses" ciphers with her fingers.

Malik did not look at her. His eyes were frontward, as if he was staring out into deep space. Probably not even noticing the hand signs, she was making. "The same rank as I, but you'll have to restart your training, well at least until your memory returns," And that was all he said. His hand slipped from her shoulder and he left the room. All alone now, but Rae could still feel the warmth of his hand on her skin.

He was acting different. At first, he was angry, and then he was hysterical, now he just seemed depressed. Rae wanted to know why. Another thing she had not noticed before was his arm. His left arm was missing and she was curious, but did not want to ask, afraid of accidentally bringing up painful memories of what might have happened.

She shook her head, wanting to erase the thought from her mind. "I guess I should just go along with this … At least until I wake up. I mean it's just a dream, right?" She thought aloud, thinking she was alone in the room.

"No. This is very much real." That voice! There it was again.

She turned quickly in her chair, seeing a man clad in white, wearing something similar as she was, but his hood was up. Not allowing her to see his face.

He was perched in the open window. It reminded her of a cat or well, something similar.

"Whoa! I didn't see you there!" She practically yelled, then mentally slapping herself for it. No need to yell at him, sweetheart!

He didn't look at her or even say anything for that matter, probably used to the surprising reaction he got from people.

She began to feel out of place, so she turned her body back to sit in her chair properly. She said nothing else for a few moments.


	5. Possible Continuation

Im considering a possible continuation of this story since many of you have requested it. Some aspects may change due to the long time interval since the last chapter. 


	6. Chapter 5

Rae slumped in the prickly wooden chair, though she could no longer feel his presence assuming he had left quietly. Her fingers continued to wrap around the small string that protruded from the hem of her sleeve, pulling it tightly until it finally snapped leaving the tip of her finger a fine shade of purple.

With a sigh, Rae rose to her feet and dared to face the window where the man was once perched, yet as she turned around her sight landed upon a bare window pane. He really was gone.

Her steps were childish, almost tiptoeing to the window before gazing out into the city. Eyes fell upon a few buildings that were in shambles, partially burnt along with parts of crumbling walls that surrounded the city. 

_Why hadn't I noticed that before?_

The unervement of arriving in such a place, without explanation .. Unaware of how this all happened. Her mind wondered as it always seemed to do.

"A'idah." Her body jerked slightly, unaware of the person who called out to her. Turning, Malik's blank face came into view. "The Master would like to speak with you." His voice was subtle, mood seemed to be unchanged but she obliged and scrambled to catch up with him nearly tripping over the tails of her robe in the process.

How someone with such a 'graceful' presence could ever become an assassin was far unbeknownst to anyone.

Treading quietly in tow, eyes on her feet Rae was led down a short corridor and a set of stairs before coming to what she assumed was the top floor of the fortress. She dared to glance upward, as a man hooded in a dark cloak caught her eye as he stared intently into one of the book cases on either side of the floor. By now, Malik was no where in sight.

_Of course, leave me here to fend for myself_! She huffed under her breath.

Her head returned to its lowered position, her eyes now on the boots of the so called _Master Assassin_. How was one supposed to act in the presence of such a person? 

_He can probably read me like a book_. Ironically.

"It is most unfortunate about your predicament." His booted feet moved from the book case and were now only steps in front of her, her body tensed under the white robes. "Since the attack on the fortress, we cannot train you here. You will be under the care of one of my best assassins, while hes on a quest to regain his rank as well." Lips pursed, she dared not ask why, only nodding in acknowledgement. "And here he is now .."

Rae's eyes darted upward in curiosity, the Master was easily middle-aged man in his 50s, supporting a large and greying beard. His eyes were dark, one milky-white with signs of blindness but her own green eyes were caught by the man who had just arrived. It was him! Her stomach began to feel queasy, for she felt as though he knew something perhaps why she were here.

He was quiet, as they stood from what seemed like miles apart. Rae didn't know why, but she wanted to see him, see the face he hid away under the shadows of his hood.

Rae kept to her self, standing idle in the far corner of the room, daring not to speak as the Master explained the tasks were were to preform. An attempt to bring peace between the Crusader and Saracen forces. The task of assassinating nine key figures across the Holy Land in Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus.

"You mean actually kill people?" Her voice seemed to echo through out the quietness of the fortress. Eyes widened and cheeks supporting a pink blush, she retreated into the shadow of the corner away from the gaze of confused faces.

She was never the one to act out of impulse, but she were not the one to kill a living thing either. Big or Small she couldn't do it.. Even if this were in fact just a silly dream.

The assignment given was a long a tedious one. This is far from anything she would have expected to experience in her lifetime.

She followed the hooded man from the fortress, hands gripped tightly in front of her. By now, it were obvious that he weren't too happy with the assignment and even less ecstatic about his new company. Rae couldn't blame him, a simple minded girl like her would only slow him down.

As they exited through the large, gated archway she was led to stable were only a few horses remained. Though he still hadn't said a word, she had gotten the idea once he saddled up and began to gallop down a winding path that led away from the city. Rae followed his example, unused to the mechanics of horseback riding and began to sloppily make her way after the spec of white that began to disappear in the distance..


End file.
